Northern Ireland wind energy company, Simple Power, has announced its long-term support for the RNLI, the charity that saves lives at sea.

The local company will support Portrush RNLI which operates both an all-weather and inshore lifeboat from its station on the north coast, with a yearly donation for the next 20 years.

Simple Power is committed to helping the charity as it aims to save lives by providing a rescue service, along with education, supervision and influence. The RNLI wants to halve Ireland and UK coastal drowning by 2024.

The lifeboat station in Portrush which has 27 volunteer crew members, provides a 24-hour search and rescue service.

Simple Power Chief Executive, Philip Rainey commented: “The RNLI and its volunteers carry out vital work across Ireland and the UK and in our local community, and we are pleased to announce our new partnership with the charity. We will work closely with the team to support them, and raise awareness of their commendable work in the local area.”

Keith Gilmore, Portrush RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager, said: “As a charity, the RNLI relies on the generosity of the public’s donations to maintain our lifesaving service, and we are very thankful to Simple Power for its commitment to the charity and for their ongoing support. The amount of responses we carried out last year would not be possible without the help and support of the local community. Every community is different. There are a variety of risks and a wide range of people using the coast for different activities. We want to encourage anyone taking to the sea here to enjoy it but also to respect the water. We do this through community engagement, accident reduction initiatives and emergency response.”

In addition to this new CSR support, Simple Power works closely with Community Rescue Service and also with Northern Ireland’s farming community, helping to boost farm incomes with its single wind turbine installations.